BEFORE YOU QUIT (1) – I KNOW HOW HARD YOU HAVE WORKED.

Welcome to our new series tilted ‘Before You Quit’. I’m so excited to share what God is teaching me. I know at certain times in our lives we all get to a point where we feel like quitting. I encourage you to please read this before you make a decision. And if you know anyone who’s struggling and about to quit, be sure to share these words of encouragement.

Luke 5: 5 “Master,” Simon replied, “we worked hard all last night and didn’t catch a thing (NLT)

The story in Luke 5 tells us of Peter and his fellow fishermen who fished all night but caught nothing. Their hours of or work produced no result. Jesus showed up maybe sometime in the early hours of the morning and was preaching. As the crowd pressed him on him, he noticed two empty boats and the fishermen washing their nets, ready to leave. He asked Peter if He could use his boat to preach and Peter was nice enough to let him. Peter sat there and listened as Jesus preached. When Jesus was done, he turned to Peter and He said ‘“Now go out where it is deeper, and let down your nets to catch some fish” (Luke 5:4 NLT)

Peter was blunt enough to tell Jesus why he was parking up. He said I have worked hard all night and I caught nothing. Just like Peter, you may be at the place in life where you are washing your nets, packing up and about to leave. A place where you have done all you know to do and yet you did not get the expected result. Before you quit the marriage, or quit believing God for that breakthrough, before you quit the job, before you quit on the child or friend, Jesus has something to say to you!

‘You have worked hard’

Jesus never shows up with the voice of condemnation even when we are wrong.  Hebrews 4: 15 “This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin” (NLT)

Jesus didn’t say to Peter, why are you giving up? Look you didn’t go deep enough, or you should have fished this way. No, He says I am your height priest and I understand what it is like to work hard and get no results. I feel your pain. So, before you start beating up yourself, thinking of what else you should have done, or listening to others tell you that you haven’t prayed enough, or fasted enough or tried hard enough…. I am saying to you, I recognize the effort you have put in. I understand how you feel about working so hard and having nothing to show for it, I understand how it feels after choosing my ways yet your life doesn’t seem to have the abundant life I have promised. I understand and I am here to help, if you’ll let me.

Even though I have been a Christian for a while, sometimes I do things on my own without consciously asking for God’s help. Most times it is when I have done all I know to do and get no results that I go ask God for help. I realize that I am too self-dependent and failure is sometimes my wake-up call to teach me to stop going in my own strength and learn to listen and follow God’s direction. So, if you are a Miss independent like me, before you quit, this could be God calling your attention. He is saying to you, you’ve done it your way and failed, and I understand the pain of your failure but are you willing to try this my way?

Lack of results was not the only reason why Peter was about to quit. There was one more reason. Be sure to subscribe so you don’t miss out on any update. What are some things that have caused you to consider quitting? Please share in the comment section below. Look forward to reading them.

Love Always. Obebi